Tag: Portrait

1468. Upfest 2017 (167)

Some of the collaborations at Upfest 2017 were almost acidental or improvised. Others like this one were calculated and beautifully worked out. The artists, Carleen de Soza (left) and Dreph (right) painted portraits of each other, and in doing so switched colours for the skin tones and background.

Carleen De Sozer and Dreph, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Carleen De Sozer and Dreph, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I think both artists, who do a lot of portraits fgound it challenging being the subject of the artwork, but the final collaboration was outstanding and eye-catching.

Carleen De Sozer and Dreph, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Carleen De Sozer and Dreph, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The wall was a difficult one to photograph, because the light managed to shine down the back wall and bleached out the top of the frame. Also there were beams in the way, which didn’t quite fall centrally – probably not the best spot for a collaboration.

Carleen De Sozer and Dreph, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Carleen De Sozer and Dreph, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This piece was definitely one of the more memorable collaborations at the festival and I guess ther artists were relieved at having the partial cover to protect them from the rain showers.

 

1467. Upfest 2017 (166)

Annika Pixie has a lightness of touch that brings a spot of magic to her pieces. She is a fine artist and lovely warm person. For half the year she spends her time teaching in Thailand, and her Instagram feed is a constant stream of beaches and sunsets.

Annika Pixie, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Annika Pixie, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This piece for Upfest must have been completed early on the Saturday, because I never got to see her at work, which was a real pity – maybe this year.

1401. Upfest 2017 (158)

There was so much great street art at Upfest 2017, it has been difficult to try and post ass much as I possibly can. This is a lovely piece by Hide2 which was at the Ashton Gate site, and in common with my other posts from there, the piece is not quite complete in these photographs.

Hide2, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Hide2, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

On his visit for the festival, he left a nice ‘gift’ in Wilder Street which I wrote about back in August – it seems strange to now only be posting his official Upfest piece.

Hide2, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Hide2, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

His work here is absolutely brilliant, both the portrait and writing are sensational.

Hide2, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2017
Hide2, Wilder Street, Bristol, August 2017

1397. Upfest 2017 (154)

Without question, watching Arladiss painting this piece was my most joyful experience at Upfest 2017. This was the second piece she worked on in South Street Park during the festival, and I was lucky enough to see her adding the final touches.

Arladiss, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Arladiss, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The charming portrait of a child appeared to be finished, but Arladiss had other plans. The youthful joy she brings to her paintings of children is complemented with a bit of child-like fun to bring about the final touches.

Arladiss, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Arladiss, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Arladis held a paintbrush loaded with paint and proceeded to splatter the piece with great gusto. Just watching her do this was an experience. She was so obviously enjoying applying this final touch and was beaming while she did it.

Arladiss, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Arladiss, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Her sense of fun rubbed off on the few spectators who gathered to see what she was up to and, for a moment we all reverted to a childish state. Her sense of fun is so infectious. I love the piece, and her other Upfest piece, and am thrilled to know that she will be returning for Upfest 2018.

Arladiss, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Arladiss, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

 

1395. Upfest 2017 (152)

Following directly on from my post of Hannah Adamaszek and Saroj, here is another all female collaboration from last year’s Upfest between Kler and So Free So. Once more I feel lucky to see the work of two more artists relatively unknown to me.

Kler and So Free So, Upfest, Bristol, JUly 2017
Kler and So Free So, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

This collaboration works so well with two very different styles using similar colours to create two distinct female portraits. The portrait on the left is by Kler, from Barcelona, where she sprays on the legal walls. A former designer, she now travels widely for street art festivals. Her piece here at Upfest is a triumph.

Kler and So Free So, Upfest, Bristol, JUly 2017
Kler and So Free So, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

So Free So is a Swiss graphic designer who also does a lot of street work. She tries to convey emotions in her pieces, and the shadowy eyes and mouth in this work are part of this inner exposure. She has collaborated with Kler on several occasions, and on researching her for this post, it turns out I have seen their work before at Upfest. So Free So’s website is really well worth a look.

Kier, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016
Kler and So Free So, Upfest, Bristol, July 2016

1366. Upfest 2017 (145)

It was impossible to ignore this extraordinary face by Rast ot Upfest 2017. Situated on the long hoardings at Ashton Gate, the bright colours and striking face drew you in.

Rast, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Rast, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Originally from Spain, Rast has been living in Bristol in 2014. I must say that I have not come across his work before, but surely would lioke to see more of it in the various locations around Bristol that I vsist.

Rast, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Rast, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

1364. Upfest 2017 (143)

This unusual and rather haunting portrait, on the hoardings in Raleigh Road, is by the amazing Wasp Elder.

Wasp Elder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Wasp Elder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Rather than try to write something clever about his style, that I am not over-familiar with, I thought I’d quote his biography straight from the Upfest programme, because it so perfectly describes what is going on in this picture.

‘Wasp Elder paints pictures populated by enigmatic souls and unstressed backgrounds, enticing a sentiment of an obscure journey.

His drawings, paintings and films present an evocative combination of solitary figures, collaged scenes, close-ups, obscured features, and potential catastrophe.’

Wasp Elder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Wasp Elder, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

It is a fine piece and was in stark contrast to the rather more lighthearted pieces on the rest of this hoarding, lending weight to the wonderful diversity of street art. I like this a lot.

 

 

1351. Upfest 2017 (137)

The very first post I wrote from Upfest 2017 was this piece by Apset and Ionas, a couple of Greek artists who had arrived in Bristol but had not been allocated a wall. The sprayed a wall in Dean Lane skate park, but then got very lucky and managed to find a hoarding in South Street Park where they produced this fine piece.

Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Both of their Upfest works incorporated an animal paired with a portrait. I think that the animals are by Ionas and portraits by Apset. Both works are great collaborations and something a bit different.

Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I hope that they are coming back this year, and that if they do, that they get allocated a spot, without having to agonise too much. A much needed little ray of Thessaloniki sunshine at a damp Bristol Upfest.

Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
Apset and Ionas, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

1350. Upfest 2017 (136)

Really, this is one of my favourite pieces from the whole of Upfest 2017, not only because of the quality of work, but because of the cheerful resilience of the artists in persevering with their work in spite if the inclement weather.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

A fine collaboration between N4T4 and Philth which really brightened up the walk between North Street and Ashton Gate.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

These two artists have painted together at the last three Upfests, and although not a true collaboration, their pieces complement each other perfectly.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

I walked past these two a few times, and took my favourite picture of the festival (above) of them cheerfully painting in the rain. Such dedication.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

The N4T4 piece on the left is a wonderful example of his portrait style, incorporating colours and shapes which combine to make the whole. A blast of exquisite colour and a stunning face.

N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017
N4T4 and Philth, Upfest, Bristol, July 2017

Contrast this then with the grey scale portrait by Philth on the right. He is as well known for his floral designs as he is for his portraits and this piece is overflowing with flowers that lift the piece to another level.

i absolutely love this wall. Beautiful.

 

 

1344. The Bearpit (123)

Once again I have been doing a little bit of cleaning up of my archives, and I came across this rather unusual Kid Crayon piece from Kid Crayon last July. I am finding that Bristol art from July is often under-represented in my posts, because they get hijacked by Upfest and will remain unshared and unloved in my July folder.

Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017
Kid Crayon, The Bearpit, Bristol, July 2017

This piece reminds me very much of the wheatpastes he used to do and which I used to take great pleasure in hunting down when I first became interested in all this malarkey. A classic Kid Crayon work.